I don’t want to be the best at anything. Really! Am I crazy? Maybe. But that’s not what I strive for. It’s hard to silence the feeling of wanting to be the best or fully recognized or completely understood, but I’ve finally realized I have a much bigger purpose and you do too! My purpose is not to be the best. My purpose is all about presence. Here are some of the things that I offer the world (and I bet you do too).

I am here to make a difference.

I am here to inspire change.

I am here to help myself and others find ease.

I am here to uncover magic.

I am here to hold space for authentic presence.

I am here to befriend the soul speakers and angel whisperers.

I am here to trailblazer and encourage people to join me.

I am here to advocate for wellness in all areas of life.

I am imperfect and I oughta be.

I am grateful.

What would you add? I would truly love to hear your ‘I am’ statements of love!

We met through Liv Lane’s Build A Blog You Love program way back in 2012 and have followed each other’s journeys ever since. She even made a move from California to Minnesota last year. Glad to have her here!

She is an incredible mixed-media artist and has been teaching art journaling for years, but this was her first time teaching in Minnesota.

I didn’t know what to fully expect other than I’d get creative with color and writing, but that was about it. The whole experience went totally above and beyond all my expectations! The whole three hours I kept thinking how I didn’t want it to end…I felt so sparkly and alive! Being creative is something that is definitely a missing puzzle piece to my life. I forgot how much it adds to high spirits!

A big reason I don’t draw, paint, or color often is because I can fall in the self-judgment trap. With DeAnne, she gave me *just* enough guidance to find the confidence to express my creativity without hindering what needed to come out naturally. She’s a fantastic guide on this journey and I didn’t feel hindered by my ego telling me I wasn’t doing a “good enough” job.

I don’t want to give away all the magic of the workshop, but here are a few incarnations of my process. The theme for this workshop was “Manifesting 2016.”

First we started with some power words to bring into this year.

Then we wrote a letter to ourselves that expanded on these words and what we’d like to manifest in 2016.

From there, we chose a photo that spoke to us to use in our journal. I chose this image of a skeleton half buried in sand with a little turquoise gem right by the nape of their neck. It was the turquoise that captured me of course.

I know it is a dark image, but I liked playing with lightness that surrounded this heavy photo. I also am fascinated by death, not in a weird way, but in a spiritual one. This may sound weird, but I was present at my Grandma Hanky’s passing, and it was an incredibly moving experience and one I was so grateful to be present for. Like birth, death I believe is to be honored. Also, for this year, there is so much conclusion and graduation that I wanted to honor those parts of myself that I have been saying goodbye to. I think it is important to remember “where we came from” because without that, we would not be who we are today.

After that part, came a lot of other fun parts that I won’t give away, but here is my final journal entry.

I love the colors and the contrast! To me, it is the true essence of life. Light and dark. We have to accept both in this lifetime. Both bring beauty, growth, and a higher self.

I can’t wait to do this again!

DeAnne will be offering a second art journaling class on Sunday, March 6 at the Solar Arts Building in Minneapolis. If you want to learn more, connect with DeAnne here!

The first half I was planting seeds of intention and as the second half came around, I began to see some sprouts, then buds, and now I’m picking some gorgeous blossoms.

With only 33-ish days left of 2013, I’d say I have much to be grateful for. Emphasis on ‘much.’

And when there’s so much ‘much’ sometimes the best intentions (aka my inspirational and everyday blogging endeavors) can get derailed. Also, with that lovely ‘much,’ sometimes we all can feel like we’re being quickly steeped in hot liquid…asking the most flavorful and fruitful contents to spill forth from the center of our being. I’m in that stage right now, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’m steeping in gratitude in this very moment.

In the past few months, not only have I been creating (or co-creating, gotta give that little one some credit!) and amazing soul and human who I feel like I’ve already known for lifetimes. The overwhelm of love I feel literally takes my breath away. I get giddy from my head to my Barney Rubble feet (they’re not so pretty, my friends!). Speaking of feet…look at this amazing creation!

And those little kicks, twitches, turns, and flutters bring me such comfort and joy. In full disclosure though, I was a tad freaked out at first…”Woah, there’s something ALIVE inside me! AHH!” Oh, truth, you silly thing you!

Along with the most momentous “jobs” I’ve ever had…I’ve also manifested a client list for my engaging and transformational digital media consulting and management company that has my plate full and my heart warmed. It’s like I finally knew how to flip the ‘on’ switch in my heart, that in turn propelled a big beam of light from my head, attracting like-hearted clients with a purpose and a message to bring more light into this world.

It’s like the above Native American blessing…

“Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.“

That’s truly what I’ve been practicing for the past two and a half (or so) years. Believe me my friends, they are coming. They already are here. Act as if. Talk as if. Dream as if. Live as if. Your dreams WILL appear and even bigger and better than you’ve imagined!

Today, I encourage you to not only give thanks for what you already have in your life. This is wonderfully important to recognize the greatness and goodness that already is, but as you sit around the dinner table, try something new…

Predict what you will be thankful for in 2014!

It’s never, ever too early to start manifesting the beauty, joy, abundance, health, laughter, and puppies you want right now. Say it out loud, affirm it, attract it directly to you and allow others to hear it too!

If you feel like it, share what you’ll be thankful for in 2014 with me (and all the other awesome people here) with a comment below, or on my Facebook or Twitter page!

I’ll play along too…here’s mine:

A happy, healthy baby who lets mama and dad sleep (relatively) well 🙂

Awesome work/life/self balance and confidence

Continue allowing myself to grow and evolve into someone who is actively making a difference for good in the world!

On July 20, 2013, I received a message from a very important person. Not much of a talker, though…just two little pink lines.

This communication happened to be a big ol’ “what if.” There was no organized intention of taking a pregnancy test that day. I hadn’t missed my period, this was the first month my husband and I decided to “see what happens,” and I didn’t have any of that so-called female intuition about “when you know, you’ll know.”

But, as I stared at perfect dewy glass of rosé wine, I felt compelled to run to the bathroom. Just three minutes later, I was staring at two pink lines. My inner monologue started babbling something incoherent as I smiled and walked out of the bathroom with total permagrin. My hubby was on the couch nursing a bout of food poisoning from the night before, and was just as shocked, but excited, as me.

Like the “we-can’t-believe-it” people that we are, we had to run to Target to pick up a competing brand of pregnancy test…just to make sure. And of course, they all were positive! Seriously, those pregnancy tests are like little magic wands…how do they know!?

This time in my life is so incredible. Even though I’m over three months into my pregnancy, I still have hard time understanding fully that I will be welcoming someone very special into my life, and my family, toward the end of March or early April 2014. My actual due date is March 29, but as most of you know, the baby will come when it is supposed to come. PS: LIKE FOREVER, I have always wanted someone to share a birthday with me in March (mine’s the 24th) and now I may just get that wish! And, no matter the date, I’ll have an amazing 30th birthday present!

Roll the tape back to last year around this time, I was caught up in some swirling storm clouds. The emotional and physical aftershocks from my miscarriage lasted months and months, but I finally found the rainbow out of the storm. And this may surprise you, but the rainbow isn’t having this baby.

The rainbow was finding my authentic path…the one where I work every day on becoming a better person. A path where I now expect the best (not the worst), I ask for help from others and don’t try to fix everything on my own, where I honor the gifts of grief and pain, and find patience in just “being” and letting go.

My miscarriage has been one of the biggest catalysts toward my spiritual path. I am truly and humbly, grateful. I had to learn these things and reconnect to source before I could bring a new soul into this world.

Now, I am blooming in the glow of that rainbow. It feels warm, empowering, and it is continuing to challenge me to let go and trust the process. And…this glow is also making me feel sick! But, that comes with the territory and I feel the second trimester welcoming me with open and less nauseous arms. Yay!

For those of you out there who have experienced loss before, there is a rainbow…there alway is. Just look at it a little differently at first. Soon, you will be basking in the technicolor love too!

I love all of my notebooks. They’re like my kind of diary, both overly organized and completely scattered. Totally me. I’m a walking, talking balancing act. They help me remember where I’ve been and what I’ve accomplished, but they also fill up and then they no longer serve me anymore.

Yesterday, I reached my last blank page. I tore out what I needed, gave thanks to rest, and recycled my trusty companion. It was time to physically let go of what I no longer needed. It felt good. To honor where I’ve been, and look forward to where I’m going. A little ceremony to let. it. all. go.

And now I’m at a brand new blank page. Begging me to start. To just begin wherever I can and with whatever I have. So I’m going forth. Literally starting a new chapter in my life thanks to a new notebook.

As with most of my other notebooks, I start with an invocation. I use “I AM” affirmations to dedicate my trusty friend for the next, oh six months or so.

So what will it be this time?

How do you feel when you start upon a blank page in your life? Literally or otherwise? Are you open and excited – I hope so — because sometimes there’s nothing better than a fresh start! Sending you love and light today wherever you are on your journey. You are worthy of infinite possibilities!